Hemlock Covered Bridge - Fryeburg, Maine

The Hemlock Covered Bridge is a covered bridge just east of Fryeburg, Maine, near the western shore of Kezar Lake. Built in 1857 and rehabilitated in 1998, the 136 foot long covered bridge spans over the Old Course Saco River, which was an old channel of the Saco River that was bypassed by local farmers with the help of oxen and hand tools in the year 1820. The Hemlock Covered Bridge is the last remaining covered bridge of seven such bridges built in Fryeburg.

Constructed with a Paddleford through truss design, the Hemlock Covered Bridge is the oldest such example of a Paddleford truss system used for a covered bridge in Maine. As the bridge was built on what had been a floodplain, the bridge rests upon granite abutments about 15 feet above the river bed. Today, you can drive to the bridge on Hemlock Bridge Road, or walk across the bridge and view the inside of the bridge with its beams and planks. Or if you are the intrepid sort, you can paddle to the covered bridge. Whichever your mode of transportation, the Hemlock Covered Bridge is great to visit.

Inside the covered bridge.

West portal of the covered bridge.

A serene view of the covered bridge.

East portal of the Hemlock Covered Bridge.

The Hemlock Covered Bridge is a Maine historic civil engineering landmark.

Paddling on the Old Course Saco River. Maybe they are canoeing so they can see the bridge.

A parting shot of the Hemlock Covered Bridge on a fine summer day.

How to Get There:

Sources and Links:
MaineDOT - Hemlock Bridge, Fryeburg, Maine
Bridgehunter.com - Hemlock Covered Bridge 19-09-02
Inspirock - Hemlock Covered Bridge, Fryeburg
Wondermyway - Frog Alley

Comments

Legend of the Ridge Route; a history of crossing the mountains between the Los Angeles Basin and San Joaquin Valley from wagon trails to Interstates

Over the past two decades I've crossed the Interstate 5 corridor from Los Angeles north over the Sierra Pelona Mountains and Tehachapi Range to San Joaquin Valley what seems to be an immeasurable number of times. While Interstate 5 from Castaic Junction to Grapevine via Tejon Pass today is known to most as "The Grapevine" it occupies a corridor which has been traversed by numerous historic highways. The most notable of these highways is known as the "Ridge Route." This article is dedicated to the Ridge Route and the various highways that preceded it. This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page. For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page Ridge Route corridor introdution The Ridge Route as originally envisioned was a segment of highway which was completed in 1915 between the northern Los Angeles city limit

Establishing the numbering conventions of California's chargeable Interstates

The Federal Highway Aid Act of 1956 brought the Interstate Highway System into existence which would largely be constructed by Federal Highway Administration fund matching. The Interstate Highway System was deliberately numbered to run opposite the established conventions of the US Route System. While the Interstate Highway numbering conventions are now well established there was a period during the late 1950s where they were still being finalized. This blog examines the history of the establishing of the chargeable Interstate Highway route numbers in California. The above blog cover depicts the Interstate Highway route numbers requested by the Division of Highways in the Los Angeles area during November 1957. The establishment of the numbering conventions of California's chargeable Interstates The Interstate Highway System was not created in a vacuum by way of the passage of the 1956 Federal Highway Aid Act. The beginning of the Interstate Highway System can be found in the

California State Route 210 (legacy of California State Route 30)

California State Route 210 is a forty-mile-long limited access State Highway located in Los Angeles County and San Bernardino County. California State Route 210 exists as a non-Interstate continuation of Interstate 210 and the Foothill Freeway between California State Route 57 in San Dimas east to Interstate 10 Redlands. California State Route 210 was previously designated as California State Route 30 until the passage of 1998 Assembly Bill 2388, Chapter 221. Since 2009 the entirety of what was California State Route 30 has been signed as California State Route 210 upon the completion of the Foothill Freeway extension. Below westbound California State Route 210 can be seen crossing the Santa Ana River as the blog cover. California State Route 30 can be seen for the last time on the 2005 Caltrans Map below. Part 1; the evolution of California State Route 30 into California State Route 210 What was to become California State Route 30 (CA 30) entered the State Highway System duri

Gribblenation

Search This Blog